Electric-railway system.



No. 692,998. Patentd'reb. n, |902.

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` ELEcTmc RAILWAY SYSTEM.

(Application filed May 13, 1897.) (No Model.) y 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 692,898.' Patented Feb. n, i902. B. E. usorm.

ELECTRIC vRAILWAY SYSTEM.

(Appxication mea may 13,1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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ATTOR N EYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BYRON E. OSBORN, OF AUBURN, NEV YORK.

ELECTRIC-RAI LWAY SYSTElVl SPECIFICATION forming' part 0f Letters PatentN0. 692,898, dated February 11, 1902.

Application filed May 13, 1897. Serial Nox 636,370. (No model.)

To @ZZ wlwnt it may concern:

Be it known that I, BYRON E. OSBORN, of Auburn, in the county of Cayuga,inthe State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inElectric-Railway Systems, of whichthe following, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is 'a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to improvements in electric-railway systems of theclass set forth in my prior patents, Nos. 549,580, 556,516, and 573,033,dated, respectively, November' 12, 1895, March 17, 1896, and December15,V

1896, which are provided with a concealed conductor for conveying anelectric current to a terminal movable along the railway, and has forits object the production of a device which is particularly simple inconstruction, requires a minimum amount of excavation or preparation ofthe road-bed, andis highly efficient and safe in operation; and to thisend the invention consists in the combination, construction, andarrangement of the component parts of a railway system, all ashereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims. Y

In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like lettersindicate corresponding part-s in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partially diagrammatic, of a portion ofa railway system embodying my invention, a portion of a vehicle formingpart of said system being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1, the vehicle being omitted; andFig. 3 is4 a detail sectional view taken on line 3 3, Fig. 1.

A B represent, respectively, concealed and exposed conductors for themain or dynamic current; C, connecting-pieces for connecting saidconductors; D, a vehicle movable along the conductors, and E E suitablerails for supporting and guiding the vehicle. The

conductors A B are normally insulated from each other and are usually soconstructed and arranged that the conductor A is concealed and partiallyinclosed bythe conductor B.

The conductor A is connected to one pole of a suitable source ofelectric energy A', having its opposite pole connected to the rail E orany other desirable conductor. l preferably support the conductor A uponan insulating bar or Stringer B', interposed between the rails E E andarranged substantially parallel therewith, and provide said conductorwith a series of branch conductors a, extending downwardly through theinsulating bar or Stringer B into chambers B2, arranged at intervalsbeneath said bar or Stringer. The upper endsof the branch conductors a,are suitably clamped to the concealed conductor A, and their lower endsare provided with contact-pieces a'. The conductor A preferably consistsof a series of separate sections arranged end to end and having theiradjacent ends secured together by suitable metallic sleeves orconnections a2 and set-screws or clamps a3. The'conductor A isparticularly simple and practical in construction, may be readilymanufactured, and is delivered and installed with the utmost economy. Itis obvious, however, that said conductor may consist of a single pieceinstead of a number of sections detachably connected together- Theconductor B usually consists of a series of sections arranged end to endand insulated from each other, and is preferably formed witha'lengthwise chamber b in its lower face, which partially incloses theconductor -A' and the clamps for securing the branch conductors a to theconductor A. As usually constructedthe conductorB is formed withdepressed side portions b' b2, arranged one above the'other, and anelevated central portion b3 disposed in substantially the same plane asthe top faces of the rails E E. The side portion b of the conductor B ismounted upon the upper face of the insulating bar or stringer B' at oneside of the conductor A and means b4, passed through said bar orstringer.

ranged at the opposite side of the conductor A, is engaged With'theadjacent side face of the bar or Stringer B', and is provided with alaterally-projecting rib b5, which is secured in position bysuitablefastening means b. The conductor B and the insulating bar or Stringer Bthus form a conduit, which conceals and incloses the conductor A forentirely preventing access to said conductor.

is secured in position by suitable fastening The side portion b2 of theconductor'B is ar- 9 IOO The conductor B is preferably provided with aseries of branch conductors 57, which extend downwardly into thechambers B2. The upper ends of the branch conductors bl are secured bysuitable fastening means bs to the laterally-projecting rib b5 of theconductor B, and the lower ends of said brauch conductors are providedwith contact-pieces b9, arranged in close proximity to the contactpiecesa.

The connecting-pieces C are usually arranged within the chambers B2 andare pivoted at c to suitable supports c'. Corresponding ends of theconnecting-pieces C are provided with armatures c2, which are attractedby electromagnets c3. The opposite ends of said connecting-pieces areprovided with engaging pieces c4,`which are usually flexibly connectedthereto, as by pivots c5, and engage and connect the contact-pieces ct'b9. The ends ofthe connecting-pieces C,provided with the engaging pieceso, are held in their normal position by permanent magnets o6 of anysuitable form, size, and construction. The electromagnets o3 areconnected by conductors c7 e8 to the rail or exposed conductor E and toan exposed sectional conductor o, suitably secured to the rail E. Aninsulating har or strip c10 is usually interposed between the rail E andthe exposed sectional conductor e9, and the bolts or fastening means efor securing the conductor ci to the rail E are usually passed throughinsulating sleeves and washers e e2. The conductor e9 is thus insulatedfrom the rail E.

The vehicle D (partly illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. l) is of anydesirable form, size, and construction and is provided with a suitablemotor or other electrically-operated means d', terminals d2 cl3 d d5 d6,and switches Z7 d8. The motor or electrically-operated means d', whichis shown diagrammatically, is suitably connected to the vehicle D foractuating the same; but as said electrically-operated means andconnections form no part of my present invention it is thoughtunnecessary to herein illustrate and describe the same. The terminals d2d3 d4 are respectively engaged with the conductor B, the rail orconductor E', and the conductor e9, and the terminals d5 d are arrangedin front and at the rear of the terminals d2 d3. Theterminal (Z3preferably consists of one of the wheels of the vehicle D, but may beotherwise constructed, if desired. A conductor di connects the terminalsd2 d5 to the switch d8, and a conductor d10 connects said switch to theelectrically-operated means cZ, which is connected by a conductor d" tothe axle DI for the terminal or car-wheel d3. A conductor (i12 connectsthe terminals d4 d6 to the switch (Z7, and conductors (113 d,respectively, connect the opposite poles of Ithe source of electricenergy d to the switch d7 and the axle D.

In the operation of my railway system the dynamic current is conveyed bythe concealed conductor A, and the exposed conductor B serves to conductsaid current to the vehicle D whenever one of the connectingpieces Coperates to connect said conductor A to one of the sections of theconductor B, since the current is then free to flow from the concealedconductor A and one of its branch conductors a to the engaging piece c4in contact with the contact-piece a of said branch conductor and thenceto the contact-piece b9, also in contact with said engaging piece, thecorresponding branch conductor 197, and the section of the conductor Bprovided with said branch conductor. The connection of the conductors AB is entirely controlled by the source of electric energy d, the switchdT, and the position of the vehicle D, and when the conductors 6112 113are connected by the switch C17 a current is free to flow from one poleof the source ot' electric energy d along the conductor dlg, through theswitch C17, along the conductor dm and the terminals d`1 d to one of thesections of the conductor o9, whence said current passes along acorresponding conductor o8 to the electromagnets c3 connected to saidconductor and thence along the conductor c7 to the rail or conductor E'.

The construction and operation of my improved railway system will now bereadily understood upon reference to the foregoing description and theaccompanying drawings,

and it will be apparent that considerable change may be made in thedetail construction and arrangement of the component parts of saidsystem without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a moving vehicle, a concealed conductor for themain current, an exposed sectional conductor consisting of u pper andside walls united to each other transversely for concealing the firstconductor and conveying the main current to the vehicle, electromagnetsfor operating the connectingpieces, and means carried by the Vehicle forcontrolling the operation of the electromagnets, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

2. The combination of a moving vehicle, a

concealed conductor for the main current, an

exposed sectional conductor for conveying the main current to thevehicle, independently-movable connecting-pieces for connecting theconductors, said connecting-pieces being provided with engaging piecesflexibly connected thereto, electromagnets for operating theconnecting-pieces, and means carried by the vehicle for controlling theoperation of the electromagnets, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

3. The combination of a moving vehicle, a concealed conductor for themain current,- an exposed sectional conductor for conveying the maincurrent to the vehicle, separated contact-pieces connected respectivelyto the con- IOC IIO

cealed and sectional conductors,independent ly-movable connecting-piecesfor connecting the conductors, said connecting-pieces being providedwith engaging pieces flexibly connected thereto for connecting thecontactpieces, electromagnets for operating the connecting-pieces,permanent magnets for holding the connecting-pieces in their normalposition, and means carried by the vehicle for controlling the operationof the electromagnets, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

et. The combination of a moving vehicle, a concealed conductor for themain current composed of separate sections having their adjacent endselectrically connected together, an exposed sectional conductor forconcealing the first conductor and conveying the main current to thevehicle, independently-movable connecting-pieces for connecting theconductors, electromagnets for operating the connecting-pieces, andmeans carried by the vehicle for controlling the operation of theelectromagnets, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

` 5. The combination of a concealed cond uctor for the main current, anexposed sectional conductor provided with a lengthwise passage forpartially inclosing the first conductor, independently-movableconnecting-pieces for connecting the conductors, a pair of rails, anexposed conductor secured to one of the rails, electromagnets foroperating the connectingpieces, said electromagnets being connectedtothe second exposed conductor and to one of the rails, a vehiclemovable along the conductors and rails and provided with terminals forengaging the exposed conductors and one of the rails,electrically-operated means carried by the vehicle and connected to theterminal for engaging the rst exposed conductor, and a source ofelectric energy carried by the vehicle and connected to the terminalsfor engaging the second exposed conductor and said one of the railsconnected to the electromagnets, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

6. The'combination of a pair of rails, an exposed conductor secured toone of the rails, a vehicle movable along the rails, a concealedconductor, a conduit having a lengthwise chamber for receiving theconcealed conductor,'a portion of said conduit consisting of an exposedsectional conductor for conveying the main current to the vehicle,chambers arranged at intervals beneath the conduit,independently-movable connecting-pieces supported withinthe chambers forconnecting the concealed conductor and the exposed conductor formingpart of said conduit, electromagnets arranged within the chambers foroperating the connecting-pieces, said magnets being connected to one ofthe rails and to the exposed conductor secured to the other rail, andmeans carried by the vehicle for engaging said rails and exposedconductors, sulo stantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence oftwo at= testing Witnesses, at Auburn, in the county of Cayuga, in theState of New York, this 28th day of April, 1897.

BYRON E. OSBORN.'

Witnesses:

RUTH E. OsBoRN, BYRON E. OsBonN, J r;

